the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, but sometimes it runs away
the journey of a fruit // a poem
Article voiceover
Dammmn girl, did it hurt when you fell from that tree? Bruised apple, purple on red A rotten fruit from a rotten parent You were born in a forest of decay and changing climate Trees long dead from drought and others drowning from the floods Balance was something you could seek and never find Because this forest was a dying place You knew that soon, there would be nothing left for you You did not want to die. You did not want your life to result in nothing but rot. So you grew legs, and you ran. When you fell did they try to keep you from running? Gnarled roots curling up like arthritic fingers to trip you Tree branches reaching as you stumbled wrapping around your legs, hugging you, keeping you close Please don't leave Sticky leaves and sap clinging to your skin Peeling it off when you tried to resist Yellow, raw wounds You thrashed, ripped yourself away, Panting, bleeding, YOU RAN When you finally escaped the forest, what did you see? Bright lights? Police sirens? Flashlights in your face? A man throwing a flannel blanket over your shoulders and asking you, "Sweety, what happened?" No? Right. When you finally escaped the forest, you were still an apple with legs. Luckily, no one was there to see. It was dark. Darker than it seemed inside the trees. There was no one waiting for you. There were no lights. Just stars, and an empty lot with a sign pointing in different directions. The words were meaningless to you. You had no idea where you were going, but you walked Dirt road under bare feet, to a future that was unknowable Dirt became grey asphalt Road became highway, and eventually You came upon a city of lights And decided to stay Everything that would come after would feel unnatural Artificial, sanitary, so normal that you missed where you came from And yet you were safe. When you are used to a dying place, the desire to live can feel strange You had no idea people could be kind And accept an apple with legs You would always feel different But you were alive And you deserved to be there. No more waiting in dead places. You never returned to the forest. And when you grew arms, they threw a party.
This idea came to me during work and I think it’s so cute lol
Good for you, Apple!